Abstract
This paper examines the different ways in which the hejab is perceived and used by Iranian women, emphasizing on the fact that the meanings given to hejab are contradictory and complex for veiled and unveiledwomen and it plays different roles in different contexts. The paper makes a comparison between the use of hejab before, during and after the Islamic revolution, and establishes a contrast between the literature written by muslim feminists, and the perception of some informants. It concludes that compulsory hejab is a patriarchal or fundamentalist tool used by men for controlling women, whereas voluntary hejab can be an emancipatory tool used by women for delivering themselves from patriarchal and cultural boundaries to legitimate their presence in public life whilst still retaining their cultural traditions.
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